Minor NFL Transactions: 4/4/23
Today’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed:S Dallin Leavitt
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: WR Cody Thompson
Following a four-year stint with the Raiders, Leavitt joined the Packers last offseason and ended up collecting 13 special teams tackles for his new squad. As NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets, Leavitt is a favorite of Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, who has coached the player with both the Packers and Raiders.
Thompson was expected to see a bigger role in 2022 after getting into five games with Seattle in 2021. However, a preseason shoulder injury ended up wiping out his entire campaign.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur Addresses Desire For WR Additions
The most notable departure for the Packers this offseason is, of course, the Aaron Rodgers trade which is expected to take place at some point in the coming weeks. The team has also lost a key receiver for the second straight year, however, leaving a vacancy for a veteran addition or two. 
[RELATED: Packers Eyeing Veteran QB]
Allen Lazard signed with the Jets last month, allowing him to (presumably) continue playing with Rodgers while also cashing in on his career-best production in 2022. Lazard’s ascension to the role of No. 1 wideout came after the trade sending Davante Adams to the Raiders and the free agent loss of Marquez Valdes-Scantling the previous offseason; fellow veteran Randall Cobb is a free agent with little to no prospect of remaining in Green Bay if Rodgers departs.
That leaves the Packers with only five receivers currently under contract, including the three members of the team’s draft class at the position (Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure). To no surprise, head coach Matt LaFleur recently spoke about the need for Green Bay to make a few moves at the position, including the signing of an experienced pass-catcher.
“I think some veteran leadership would be nice,” LaFleur said, via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “Although I think guys like Allen and Randall did such a great job last year kind of taking those guys under their wing and showing them the ropes and the expectations and the practice habits that you need to have to go out there and play at a high level. But there’s going to be a lot of growth with those two guys, certainly Romeo and Christian.”
Watson and Doubs each showed flashes of the potential which garnered them interest in the draft last year, but the pair were rarely available at the same time. Watson ranked second on the team behind only Lazard with 611 yards, while Doubs’ production (425 yards) ranked fourth on the team and third amongst receivers. The pair will therefore be counted on to take a significant step forward while handling sizeable workloads in Green Bay’s Jordan Love-led offense in 2023.
The Packers took a flier on Sammy Watkins last year, but the former first-rounder made only 13 catches in Green Bay before being waived and finishing the season in Baltimore. The team will obviously be aiming higher with their next signing, which could target a number of veterans who make up the secondary waves of a weak free agent class. While a major splash at the position is thus unlikely, an addition of some kind should be expected in the near future.
Contract Details: Hughes, Hollins, Anderson, Scott, Johnson, Evans, Morstead, Ham
Here are some details on more deals signed recently around the NFL:
- C.J. Ham, FB (Vikings): Two years, $8.65MM. The extension, according to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, has a guaranteed amount of $4.4MM composed of a $2.3MM signing bonus, Ham’s 2023 base salary of $1.1MM, and $1MM of his 2024 base salary (worth a total of $2.4MM. The 2025 base salary is worth $2.55MM. Ham is set to earn $100,000 workout bonuses in each year of the newly extended deal.
- Mike Hughes, CB (Falcons): Two years, $7MM. The deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, has a guaranteed amount of $3.24MM consisting of a $1.5MM signing bonus, Hughes’s first year base salary of $1.08MM, and his 2023 roster bonus of $660,000. The second year base salary is worth $2.57MM. The contract includes an annual per game active roster bonus of $35,000 for a potential season total of $595,000.
- Trenton Scott, G (Commanders): Two years, $3.02MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $655,000 consisting of a $305,000 signing bonus and $350,000 of Scott’s first year base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM). The second year base salary is worth $1.13MM. The contract includes an annual per game active roster bonus of $15,000 for a potential season total of $255,000. Scott can earn an additional $500,000 through an incentive based on playing time.
- Justin Evans, S (Eagles): One year, $1.59MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $600,000 composed of a $250,000 signing bonus and $350,000 of Evans’ base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM). The deal includes a per game active roster bonus of $15,294 for a potential season total of $260,000. Evans can earn an additional $1.25MM through incentives based on playing time and a Pro Bowl selection.
- Henry Anderson, DE (Panthers): One year, $1.32MM. The deal, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $152,500 consisting of Anderson’s signing bonus. His base salary is worth $1.17MM.
- Thomas Morstead, P (Jets): One year, $1.32MM. The deal, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $1.09MM consisting of a $152,500 signing bonus and $940,000 of Morstead’s base salary (worth a total of $1.17MM).
- Justin Hollins, OLB (Packers): One year, $1.28MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $155,000 consisting of Hollins’s signing bonus. The base salary is worth $1.08MM. The deal includes a workout bonus of $45,000, and Hollins can earn an additional $350,000 through an incentive based on playing time.
- Ty Johnson, RB (Jets): One year, $1.23MM. The deal, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $250,000 consisting of a $75,000 signing bonus and $175,000 of Johnson’s base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM). Johnson can earn a $77,500 roster bonus if he’s active in New York’s Week 1 matchup.
Multiple Day 2 Picks Viewed As Enough To Finalize Aaron Rodgers Trade?
These Jets-Packers talks dragging into April should not exactly surprise. Since Aaron Rodgers‘ 2021 trade request became public, lengthy sagas featuring drawn-out announcements have become standard for the future Hall of Famer. After Rodgers’ latest delay, he is not believed to be the holdup here.
Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday a first-round pick does not need to be part of this trade, though it was believed the veteran Green Bay GM was targeting New York’s No. 13 overall at earlier points during these negotiations. While Gutekunst’s comment about trade compensation could be viewed as a signal that pick is off the table, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes it still could take multiple high picks for the Jets to complete this deal.
The view around the league points to the Packers targeting two high picks — one potentially the second-rounder the Jets obtained in the Elijah Moore trade (No. 43 overall) — with the second being a conditional choice that hinges on Rodgers’ performance and decision on the 2024 season. As could be expected, Rodgers’ 2024 status is a major issue for the Jets, Fowler adds. Rodgers said back in the late 2010s he wanted to play into his 40s but has since walked that back a bit, leading to this offseason’s extended, darkness-enhanced retirement deliberation. Rodgers, 39, said he was 90% retired when he began the darkness retreat earlier this month.
The Jets have expressed concerns to the Packers about overpaying for a player who plans to play only one more year. While that would not seem to matter much to the Pack anymore, the Jets’ worries about Rodgers being a one-and-done for them — as Brett Favre was 15 years ago — are worth monitoring. It would seem unlikely Rodgers will provide an early guarantee he will play in 2024, but the trade value the Pack extract from the Jets will be telling as to the AFC team’s belief in how much longer the four-time MVP plans to play.
Most of this deal is completed, per Fowler, due to the legwork the teams did in recent weeks. Neither team is believed to be in a rush here, with on-field football work not beginning until May — and that is if Rodgers shows for OTAs, which he has not done since 2019 — but Albert Breer of SI.com notes a deal crossing the goal line this week is not out of the question. The Packers backing off their first-round pick pursuit would stand to expedite an agreement, and Breer adds the trade will be completed before the draft.
Every exec surveyed at this week’s league meetings expects the trade to happen, and Jets GM Joe Douglas refusing to use a potential Lamar Jackson pursuit as leverage is somewhat indicative he believes this deal is close. Then again, no team has made it known it will pursue Jackson. But two teams’ quarterback situations are on track to be solidified soon, with Rodgers supplanting Zach Wilson and Love following the Rodgers path by taking over as QB1 ahead of his fourth season.
The Jets were interested in re-signing Mike White, but he is now with the Dolphins. A setup in which Rodgers and another notable veteran joined Wilson in the Jets’ quarterback room seemed like wishful thinking, and Robert Saleh confirmed this week Wilson — his stock’s freefall notwithstanding — is set to be the Jets’ second-stringer. The former No. 2 overall pick spent last season in all three positions on the Jets’ depth chart; he will land in the middle once the Rodgers dust settles. Chris Streveler is the only other QB on the Jets’ roster.
Packers Targeting Veterans At WR, QB
The average age of the Packers’ 2023 roster will drop significantly after the exit of Aaron Rodgers, but the team will also move on from Rodgers favorites Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis. Neither of the 30-something pass catchers will be back, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes. Both are now candidates to follow Rodgers to New York.
Despite the exits of Cobb and Lewis, and the drawn-out conclusion to Rodgers’ 18-year Green Bay run, the Packers do not want to turn their quarterback and pass-catching groups over to rookie-contract players entirely. The team is looking for veterans in its now-Jordan Love-centered quarterback room and alongside Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs at receiver.
Once Rodgers is traded to the Jets, Love and Danny Etling will be the only Packers passers on the roster. It certainly seems like Etling — a 2018 Patriots seventh-rounder who has bounced around since, though he has never seen game action — will not be the Pack’s first choice to back up Love.
“I think it would be nice to have someone who has some experience,” GM Brian Gutekunst said, via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman (subscription required). “We have a lot of respect for Danny and what he’s done and would be very comfortable with him in the two spot, but I think we’ll look at a lot of different options. Back when Aaron took over in 2008, I think it was Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn who we drafted that year and they were our backups, so I think we’ll kind of see how that works itself out.”
Indeed, 2008 draftees Flynn and Brohm served as Rodgers’ backups during his first season as Green Bay’s starter. Etling having a legitimate chance to be Love’s primary backup will hinge on who the team adds. Teddy Bridgewater and Blaine Gabbert remain available, as do Mason Rudolph and Trevor Siemian. Carson Wentz is on the market as well, and the former No. 2 overall pick and seven-year starter said he would be open to continuing his career as a backup.
The Packers adding a player with 92 career starts and only a few weeks as a backup would be an interesting path, considering the doubt Love has generated since his 2020 NFL arrival. Love has been in Matt LaFleur‘s system for three years, but he is obviously well behind his peers for game action. Love has thrown 83 regular-season passes.
The Sammy Watkins flier and Rodgers-demanded Cobb reacquisition aside, Green Bay has preferred to fill out its complementary receiver crew with younger players in recent years. The likes of Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown came through as Davante Adams supporting-casters. Each is now elsewhere, and the Packers — post-Cobb and Lazard — will need to add some receivers for depth purposes. LaFleur confirmed as much, per Schneidman (on Twitter).
Jarvis Landry‘s Saints deal expired, while ex-Falcon Olamide Zaccheaus and former Chiefs cog Byron Pringle are also free agents. As are Chosen Anderson and Kenny Golladay, the latter coming off a disastrous Giants tenure that will probably limit his earning potential henceforth. A host of tertiary-type wideouts have signed with teams in recent days, and given Rodgers’ status as a Jet-to-be, Odell Beckham Jr. — whom the Packers finished second for in 2021 — should not be viewed as a viable piece. The Packers could also look to the trade market for a vet to work alongside Watson and Doubs, but the pickings are slimmer in free agency two-plus weeks since the market opened.
NFC North Coaching Updates: Lions, Packers, Vikings
The Lions announced earlier this month that they have finalized their coaching staff for the 2023 season. Much of the staff remains identical to last year’s coaches who helped the Lions to some surprising success. Many of the minor changes that did occur, such as promotions and the additions of assistants, have already been covered on this site. There were a couple that still need to be announced.
On the offensive side, the Lions hired Jim Hostler as a senior offensive assistant. Hostler has served in Washington for the last three years and has an extensive history as a position coach in the NFL for several franchises, including a stint as offensive coordinator for the 49ers back in 2007. Hostler’s most recent experience was assisting with wide receivers for the Commanders, but there didn’t appear to be a place for him on Eric Bieniemy‘s new staff in Washington.
On the defensive side of the ball, Detroit has hired John Scott Jr. to take over as defensive line coach. With Todd Wash departing to rejoin Frank Reich in Carolina, the Lions went to the college ranks for their next defensive line coach. Scott will return to the NFL for the first time since serving as the assistant defensive line coach for the Jets in 2016. Since then, Scott has coached the defensive lines at Arkansas, South Carolina, and Penn State, adding the title of run game coordinator for the Nittany Lions in 2022.
Here are a few more coaching updates from around the NFC North:
- The Packers made a couple additions to their coaching staff near the start of the month. Similar to Detroit, Green Bay also pulled from the college ranks, hiring recently dismissed Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester to a senior analyst position, according to Matthew Ehler of MLive.com. Lester has worked plenty with college quarterbacks but will be making his NFL debut in 2023. The team also hired two new quality control coaches, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Rob Grosso joins as offensive quality control and Kyle Wilber will be special teams quality control. Grosso, a former defensive assistant who followed Vance Joseph from Denver to Arizona, was expected to once again follow Joesph back to Denver but will part ways with Joseph while switching from defense to offense. Wilber, a former NFL linebacker, recently finished a 10-year career in which he played for Packers assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia at both Dallas and Las Vegas.
- The Vikings joined the Lions and Packers in dipping into the college ranks of coaching, hiring Michael Hutchings as assistant linebackers coach, according to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports. Hutchings most recently served as outside linebackers coach at Western Kentucky and previously worked at USC and Oregon.
Jets Willing To Give Up Second-Round Pick For Aaron Rodgers
MARCH 28: Providing the latest update on the matter of compensation, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reports that talks are now centered on the possibility of New York sending a second-round pick in 2023 and ’24 to Green Bay. The latter selection would be conditional, and have the potential to become a first-rounder depending on the Jets’ success with Rodgers at the helm.
With the 39-year-old admitting that retirement was a strong consideration following this past season, however, the Jets remain hesitant to sign off on 2024 compensation without assurances Rodgers will continue his career that long. As a result, Robinson notes that New York is seeking 2025 draft capital from the Packers in the event Rodgers does indeed retire after next season, to help protect against the lost draft pick in 2024. Progress made within this new framework will help determine if/when this deal gets over the finish line.
MARCH 27: The Jets and Packers remain engaged in trade talks on Aaron Rodgers; this week’s league meetings will allow for additional time for the sides to produce a resolution. While Douglas said Monday no timetable is in place, the Jets GM acknowledged progress has occurred.
Another Jets transaction may have changed the Rodgers talks. In trading Elijah Moore, the Jets obtained an additional second-round pick (No. 43 overall) from the Browns. They are willing to give up that pick for Rodgers, Armando Salguero of Outkick.com notes, but have thus far refused to part with their first-rounder (No. 13 overall). The Packers want a first-rounder in this trade.
Gang Green is also likely prepared to part with a conditional draft asset down the road, Salguero adds. That choice’s value could be a sticking point as well. When asked about parting with the No. 13 pick in this deal, Douglas did not shoot down that prospect, nor did he address which picks have been discussed. But the veteran Jets GM said that selection will give the team a chance to “bring in a strong player,” while confirming (via The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt) the Jets and Packers’ talks are not where they need to be yet.
Fifteen years ago, the Jets sent the Packers a conditional draft choice — which ended up a 2009 third-rounder — for Brett Favre. The Packers are positioned to land more for Rodgers, who made it clear he is ready to join the Jets. The Packers are moving forward with Jordan Love, but they want better draft capital than the Jets have offered. They also want “cap-related concessions” in this deal, Salguero adds.
It would cost the Packers just more than $40MM to trade Rodgers before June 1. While that dead-money number drops considerably (to $15.8MM) on a deal after that date, the Packers look to be targeting more than just draft capital from the Jets, who would — absent any contract maneuvering — have Rodgers on their 2023 cap sheet at barely $15MM in 2023. The Jets are, assuming they finish this trade, prepared to pay Rodgers’ roughly $59MM bonus negotiated into his three-year, $150.8MM extension agreed to last March.
Leverage in the form of a Lamar Jackson pursuit could have been an option for the Jets, but Douglas joined the host of teams preparing to stand down on the Ravens’ disgruntled quarterback. Praising Jackson but not wanting to negotiate with the Packers in bad faith, as they are far down the Rodgers road, Douglas said (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello) the Jets will not pursue him. Hit with the franchise tag, Jackson has requested a trade.
Jackson would likely have been a Jets consideration had he requested a trade in January or February, SNY’s Connor Hughes adds (video link). The team met with Derek Carr, but its Rodgers meeting took place a day after Carr signed with the Saints. It would seem the Jets could still pivot to Jackson, though the former MVP would cost far more in a trade and require a monster extension. But they are pot-committed to Rodgers at this point. That represents good news for the Packers. While Green Bay is certainly taking a risk with its Rodgers-to-Love transition, the team is set to collect a premium draft choice for a player no longer in its plans.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst Addresses Aaron Rodgers Situation
The Packers have been entrenched in their drama with Aaron Rodgers for years now. With the end seemingly drawing nearer and nearer, general manager Brian Gutekunst gave some comments to the media today. 
Primarily, Gutekunst confirmed what we all presumed, that he expects Jordan Love to take over as starting quarterback for the Packers in 2023. While he admitted that there were unknowns to be dealt with, mainly the pending trade deal shipping Rodgers to New York, everything is trending toward an offense centered around Love, according to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Additionally, Gutekunst added that he is not necessitating a first-round pick in exchange for Rodgers. He stated that he wants a fair value for Rodgers, whom he called a “premier” player, but claimed that he isn’t drawing a line at the first round.
Gutekunst was also asked some hard-hitting questions from The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman about the team’s inability to communicate with Rodgers and Rodgers’ displeasure concerning the perception that the Packers were shopping him out, and Gutekunst didn’t shy away from the answers. Gutekunst basically asserted that they attempted to reach out after the season and, after they failed to reach him or get a response, Gutekunst “had to do (his) job.”
“Certainly, whenever a player may have issues, you prefer that they talk to you directly and not do it in the media,” Gutekunst said Monday, via Schneidman. “But that’s not necessarily the way he goes about it and that’s okay.”
Gutekunst’s efforts to reach Rodgers were an attempt to discuss the future of the franchise and Rodgers’s part in it. After the season, though, he was only able to reach Rodgers’s representatives. After Gutekunst talked with the veteran’s representation, Rodgers asked for the trade, leading to the limbo that Green Bay is currently in. Most parties involved are going about their business as if Rodgers is a member of the Jets already. It’s only a matter of compensation at this point.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/25/23
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Kyle Fuller
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: LB Eric Wilson
Cardinals Sign LB Krys Barnes
Arizona has added a young veteran to their defense. The team announced on Saturday that they have signed linebacker Krys Barnes. 
A former UDFA, Barnes spent the first three seasons of his career with the Packers. Even in his rookie campaign, he took on a notable workload, starting 10 games. His 52% snap share in 2020 was matched exactly the following year, making him a key member of Green Bay’s LB corps.
Over the course of his first two seasons, Barnes racked up 161 tackles and a pair of sacks. While his work in pass defense led to an unflattering PFF evaluation, he maintained an important role in a Packers’ second-level group which was bolstered significantly by the arrival of De’Vondre Campbell in 2021. Things took a different turn this past season, however.
Barnes, 24, was limited to just six games played in 2022 due to an ankle injury. He was able to return in November after suffering the injury in Week 1, but his playing time took a noticeable step back. Barnes’ snap share dropped to just 37% on defense, as Campbell and first-round rookie Quay Walker saw the bulk of work for the team. It thus came as little surprise when Green Bay elected not to tender Barnes as a pending restricted free agent.
Now, he will head to Arizona and aim for a return to staring duties in his new home. The Cardinals have been busy at the position so far in free agency, including the addition of Kyzir White. Arizona has also signed Josh Woods and re-upped Ezekiel Turner, though those deals will primarily affect their special teams units. The Cardinals have hybrid defender Isaiah Simmons available as well, depending on how the team’s new coaching staff chooses to use him, along with 2021 first-rounder Zaven Collins and depth option Blake Lynch.
Barnes will look to carve out a role amongst those other ‘backers, as he seeks to boost his own value ahead of next offseason. Arizona has plenty of room for improvement in all aspects of their defense compared to 2022, so a productive season would be beneficial to both player and team in this situation.